Construction components from pre-existing products

ABSTRACT

A process for reusing or repurposing materials includes providing one or more metal products, heating the one or more metal products and pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die to produce a construction component. A roofing product includes a plate-like body formed from heating the one or more metal products and pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die and includes one or more surfaces surrounding the plate-like body and having patterned treatments.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/357,984, pending, filed 2022 Jul. 1 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

SUMMARY

The disclosure describes a process for repurposing materials. The process includes providing one or more previously manufactured metal products, heating the one or more previously manufactured metal products and pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die to produce a construction component.

Further, the disclosure describes a construction component. The construction component includes a plate-like body formed from heating one or more previously manufactured metal products and pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die. One or more surfaces surrounding the plate-like body include patterned treatments.

Further still, the disclosure describes a process for roofing a structure. The process includes providing a roofing product and coupling the roofing product to a roof of a structure. The roofing product includes a plate-like body formed from heating one or more previously manufactured metal products and pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die. One or more surfaces surrounding the plate-like body include patterned treatments.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The summary above, as well as the following detailed description of illustrative embodiments, is better understood when read in conjunction with the appended drawings. For the purpose of illustrating the disclosure, example constructions are shown in the drawings. However, the disclosure is not limited to specific methods and instrumentalities disclosed herein. Moreover, those having ordinary skill in the art will understand that the drawings are not to scale. Wherever possible, like elements have been indicated by identical numbers.

Embodiments of the disclosure will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the following diagrams wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates actions of a process for reusing materials.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example pre-existing product.

FIG. 3 illustrates another example pre-existing product.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example workpiece entering an example induction heater.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example workpiece exiting an example induction heater.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example die with an unpressed workpiece.

FIG. 7 illustrates an example die pressing a workpiece.

FIG. 8 illustrates example heated construction components output from the example die.

FIG. 9 illustrates the example construction components of FIG. 8 in a cooled state.

FIG. 10 illustrates example installation of a first type of construction component.

FIG. 11 illustrates example installation of a second type of construction component.

FIG. 12 illustrates example installation of a third type of construction component.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description illustrates embodiments of the disclosure and manners by which they can be implemented. Although the best mode of carrying out disclosed products and processes has been described, those of ordinary skill in the art would recognize that other embodiments for carrying out or practicing disclosed products and processes are also possible.

It should be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another. Further, the terms “a” and “an” herein do not denote a limitation of quantity, but rather denote the presence of at least one of the referenced item.

Known roofing components require replacement or refurbishing as early as 10 years after installation and/or are formed from previously unused and/or non-recyclable thin materials which are bent into shape.

Repurposing materials reduces the amount of waste going into landfills, conserves natural resources such as water and energy, helps protect the environment from pollution and reduces manufacturing costs. Embodiments of the disclosure provide roofing components formed from previously used materials.

Embodiments of the disclosure substantially eliminate, or at least partially address, problems in the prior art, providing a roofing system which may endure up to 100 years and have uniquely patterned individual components that do not require painting or other coloring.

Additional aspects, advantages, features and objects of the disclosure will be made apparent from the drawings and the detailed description of the illustrative embodiments construed in conjunction with the appended claims that follow.

It will be appreciated that described features are susceptible to being combined in various combinations without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the appended claims.

FIG. 1 illustrates actions of a process 100 for reusing or repurposing materials and/or pre-existing products to manufacture construction components. At 120, one or more previously manufactured and/or pre-existing metal products are provided. The pre-existing and/or previously manufactured metal products may include but are not limited to metal products manufactured from one or more iron-carbon alloys (FIGS. 2 & 3 ). Example metal products provided may include but are not limited to rail tie plates 212 and/or rail spikes 216.

At 140, one or more metal products are heated. The metal products may be heated by induction heating. FIGS. 4 & 5 illustrate an example induction heater 300 and workpiece 210 which, as above, may be a metal product formed from one or more iron-carbon alloys such as rail tie plates and/or rail spikes. In an example, the metal products are heated to between about 1,000 and about 1,800° C. (about 1,800 and 3,270° F.). After heating, the heated workpiece 230 exits heater 300.

At 160 one or more heated metal products are pressed in a die to produce a new construction component. The heated metal products may be pressed in a closed die. FIG. 6 illustrates an example die 500 with unpressed workpiece 230 from an induction heater while FIG. 7 illustrates die 500 with pressed work product 250. In an example, the heated metal products are pressed with about 20 tons of pressure.

FIG. 8 illustrates example pressed work products 252, 254 and 256 before cooling. FIG. 9 illustrates example cooled work products 272, 274 and 276. After cooling, the construction components may be stored for some period of time before being coupled to a surface of a structure or otherwise installed on a structure.

In an example, the cooled work products 272, 274 and 276 the process yields are roofing products such as shingles. In a further example, the shingle may be an ‘S’-tile 252. In another example, the shingle may be a shake shingle 254. In yet another example, the shingle may be a slate shingle 256. Example shingle dimensions include 8-10″ of exposure, 5-14″ wide and 1″ thick.

Further, a shingle may undergo oxidation. Oxidation may just happen or may be applied intentionally, for example, by the manufacturer or allowed to happen naturally in an outdoor or indoor environment after installation. For example, one or more surfaces of the shingle may be subjected to oxidation or treated by oxidizing. Unlike painting, oxidation yields a rust coloration and/or pattern that does not require maintenance enabling a shingle manufactured according to disclosed processes to endure up to 100 years or longer.

Process 100 may further include installing the new construction component at a position on a structure at 180. FIG. 10 illustrates an installation of ‘S’-tiles at 453, an installation of shake wood textured grain shingles at 455 and an installation of slate tiles at 457.

Returning to action 180, additionally and/or alternatively, one or more heated metal products are pressed in a die to produce a construction component in the form of siding. As with disclosed shingle manufacturing processes, the siding may undergo oxidation either intentionally by the manufacturer or naturally in an outdoor or indoor environment. For example, one or more surfaces of the siding may be treated by oxidizing. The siding may be coupled to a wall of a structure or otherwise installed on the structure.

In an example process for roofing a structure, a roofing product is provided and coupled to a roof of a structure. The roofing product includes a plate-like body formed from heating one or more previously manufactured metal products and pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die and one or more surfaces surrounding the plate-like body including patterned treatments.

The actions described above are only illustrative and other alternatives can also be provided where one or more actions are added, one or more actions are removed, or one or more actions are provided in a different sequence without departing from the scope of the claims herein.

Disclosed processes may yield any of a variety of construction components. For example, the construction components are roofing products or siding having a planar or plate-like body formed from heating the one or more pre-existing products and pressing the one or more heated pre-existing products in a die. The heating to form the plate-like body may be by induction heating while the pressing may be by pressing in a closed die. The plate-like body may be formed from heating one or more metal products of an iron-carbon alloy. The plate-like body may take the form of a shingle such as an ‘S’-tile 252, a slate shingle 256 or shake shingle 254 (FIG. 9 ).

One or more surfaces surrounding the plate-like body include patterned treatments. The one or more surfaces may include patterned treatments of oxidization.

Embodiments of the disclosure are susceptible to being used for various purposes, including, though not limited to, enabling users to apply, to structures, durable construction components derived from pre-existing products.

Modifications to embodiments of the disclosure described in the foregoing are possible without departing from the scope of the disclosure as defined by the accompanying claims. Expressions such as “including”, “comprising”, “incorporating”, “consisting of”, “have”, “is” used to describe and claim disclosed features are intended to be construed in a non-exclusive manner, namely allowing for items, components or elements not explicitly described also to be present. Reference to the singular is also to be construed to relate to the plural. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A process for repurposing materials, comprising: providing one or more previously manufactured metal products; heating the one or more previously manufactured metal products; and pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die to produce a construction component.
 2. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heating the one or more previously manufactured metal products further includes induction heating.
 3. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die further includes pressing the one or more metal products in a closed die.
 4. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heating the one or more previously manufactured metal products further includes heating one or more metal products formed from an iron-carbon alloy.
 5. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heating the one or more previously manufactured metal products further includes heating one or more rail tie plates.
 6. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the heating the one or more previously manufactured metal products further includes heating one or more rail spikes.
 7. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the providing the one or more previously manufactured metal products further includes providing one or more metal products manufactured from an iron-carbon alloy.
 8. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the providing the one or more previously manufactured metal products further includes providing one or more rail tie plates.
 9. The process as set forth in claim 1, wherein the providing the one or more previously manufactured metal products further includes providing one or more rail spikes.
 10. The process as set forth in claim 1, further comprising installing the construction component on a structure.
 11. The process as set forth in claim 1, further comprising oxidizing one or more surfaces of the construction component.
 12. A construction component, comprising: a plate-like body formed from heating one or more previously manufactured metal products and pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die; and one or more surfaces surrounding the plate-like body include patterned treatments.
 13. The construction component as set forth in claim 12, wherein the plate-like body is formed from induction heating.
 14. The construction component as set forth in claim 12, wherein the plate-like body is formed from pressing the one or more heated metal products in a closed die.
 15. The construction component as set forth in claim 12, wherein the plate-like body is formed from heating one or more previously manufactured metal products of an iron-carbon alloy.
 16. The construction component as set forth in claim 12, wherein the plate-like body is formed from heating one or more rail tie plates.
 17. The construction component as set forth in claim 12, wherein the plate-like body is formed from heating one or more rail spikes.
 18. The construction component as set forth in claim 12, wherein the one or more surfaces include patterned oxidization treatments.
 19. The construction component as set forth in claim 12, wherein the plate-like body is formed as a slate shingle.
 20. The construction component as set forth in claim 12, wherein the plate-like body is formed as a shake shingle.
 21. A process for roofing a structure, comprising: providing a roofing product including: a plate-like body formed from heating one or more previously manufactured metal products and pressing the one or more heated metal products in a die; and one or more surfaces surrounding the plate-like body including patterned treatments; and coupling the roofing product to a roof of a structure. 